Parents often ask the same question after an otherwise intelligent teen makes a less than favorable judgement call at school, among peers, or in social situations. In early education setting and even middle school impulsive behaviors that are relatively harmless are more easily dismissed. Forgetting chores, getting behind on class assignments, testing boundaries with rules. While these are all age appropriate, challenges can become consequential as our children age, their personalities develop and life begins to feel more real to them.

Fights with peers (physical or social) and pressure to perform, can have an impact not only impulse control but the biological and neurological systems resulting in actions that leave adults asking...

"They know better. Why would they do that?"

Read on to learn how stress, peer presence, and time pressure shape teen decision-making, and why judgment is a skill that can be trained.

The nervous system is not an obstacle to self defense, rather, it is the foundation of it. When teens understand how their brain and body respond to stress, they gain leverage, and when self defense classes align with real physiology, students learn skills that hold up under pressure, not just in controlled environments.

Most teen self-defense programs promise confidence, but confidence alone does not keep teens safe under real-world pressure. Adolescent brains respond to stress by reducing impulse control and judgment, making complex techniques and bravado unreliable when it matters most. Evidence-Based Self Defense focuses instead on regulation, decision-making, and early disengagement, giving teens practical tools to manage risk, navigate social pressure, and make safer choices before situations escalate.